1.1-1.3

UNIT I: The Global Tapestry from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Understand the Context

• Between 1200 and 1450, several large empires emerged around the world.

  • Some were modified revivals of earlier empires in their region.

  • Others represented new developments.

• All were shaped by the context of regional trade, which had been increasing since around 600.

The Revival of Large Empires

• The wealthiest and most innovative empire in the world was the Song Dynasty in China.

  • It was the latest in a series of states that had ruled a unified and prosperous China.

• Similarly, the rise of the Aztec in Mesoamerica was influenced by an earlier empire under the Mayans.

• Great centers of intellectual achievement included Baghdad and Spain, reflecting the emphasis on learning in the Islamic world.

• In parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, the growth of regional trade produced larger, more complex states than had previously existed.

• Trade across the Sahara resulted in the West African empires of Ghana and Mali.

• Trade in the Indian Ocean led to large states in Zimbabwe, India, and Southeast Asia.

Unity in Central Eurasia

• The emergence of the Mongols significantly shaped events in Eurasia from 1200 to 1450.

  • A group of nomads from Central Asia, the Mongols created the largest land empire in human history.

  • Despite the devastation caused by their conquests, the unity of territory allowed trade to flourish across Eurasia, facilitating the spread of ideas and technology.

  • Set the stage for intensifying global interactions post-1450.

Key Events Timeline

• 1100: Japan installs a shogun.

• 1192: King John of England signs the Magna Carta.

• 1206: Mongols conquer the Abbasid Empire.

• 1215: Aztecs found Tenochtitlán.

• 1279: The Delhi Sultanate takes power in India.

• 1321: Dante, a leader of the European Renaissance, dies.

• 1324: China's Song Dynasty falls; Mansa Musa of Mali makes his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Developments in East Asia

Essential Question

• How did developments in China and the rest of East Asia between c. 1200 and c. 1450 reflect continuity, innovation, and diversity?

• The Song Dynasty (960–1279) exemplified diversity and innovation.

  • It was characterized by great wealth, political stability, and artistic and intellectual achievements.

  • Neo-Confucian teachings, as seen in the Ming Dynasty’s "Prohibition Ordinance" (1368-1644), reinforced governance and social structure.

Government Developments in the Song Dynasty

• The Song Dynasty replaced the Tang in 960 and ruled for over 300 years.

• They faced invasions by pastoralists from Manchuria, leading to the establishment of the Jin Empire.

• Despite ruling a smaller territory than the Tang, the Song period was prosperous, with notable cultural achievements.

Bureaucracy

• The strength of China was partially due to its imperial bureaucracy, where appointed officials implemented policies.

  • Bureaucracy had been part of the Chinese government since the Qin dynasty (221 B.C.E.-207 B.C.E.), reflecting continuity.

• Under the Song, the bureaucratic system expanded, leading to greater prosperity initially but contributing to the dynasty's eventual weakness.

Meritocracy and the Civil Service Exam

• Emperor Song Taizu expanded educational opportunities for lower economic class young men to excel in civil service exams.

  • These exams centered on knowledge of Confucian texts, establishing a meritocracy.

  • Although the poor were underrepresented, this system provided more upward mobility than other hiring systems of the time.

• However, the expanding bureaucracy later drained China’s surplus wealth leading to instability.

Economic Developments in Postclassical China

1. Agricultural Productivity:

   • Champa rice (from the Champa Kingdom) significantly increased agricultural output and supported population growth.

   • Advanced practices included manure fertilization, irrigation systems, and heavy plowing.

   • During the Song, China's population grew from about 25% to nearly 40% of the world's total.

2. Manufacturing and Trade:

   • China became the most populous trading area in the world due to improved agricultural production and trade networks.

   • Innovations in industrial production and technology, including coal usage and steel production, set China ahead.

   • The discovery of black earth (coal) in the 4th century B.C.E. allowed mass cast-iron goods production.

   • Proto-industrialization saw rural artisans produce more goods than local demand suggested.

   • Notable products included porcelain and silk, which were widely traded.

   • The compass and improved maritime technology allowed for increased seafaring.

   • The Grand Canal's expansion facilitated internal trade and bolstered economic growth.

Taxes and Tribute

• The Song promoted a commercial economy through payment for public projects, increasing money circulation and growth.

• Tribute from tributary states reinforced China's political and economic dominance, requiring representatives to perform a kowtow before the emperor.

• The tributary system dated back to the Han Dynasty, solidifying influence over Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asian kingdoms.

Social Structures in China

• Urbanization surged during the Song Dynasty, with major cities boasting over 100,000 inhabitants, including cosmopolitan centers like Hangzhou and Guangzhou.

• Class structure evolved:

  • Scholar Gentry: The new elite class educated in Confucian philosophy.

  • Farmers, Artisans, Merchants: Each had varying statuses, with merchants particularly low due to Confucian values.

  • Peasants: Dependent, often owing debts to landowners, and supported by government social programs.

Role of Women

• Women's roles were defined by Confucian principles; foot binding symbolized status and restricted mobility, outlawed only in 1912.

• Despite providing societal structure, women's rights were confined within a patriarchal framework.

Intellectual and Cultural Developments

• China's affluence and extensive foreign contact fostered advancements in literature, technology, and arts.

  • Paper and Woodblock Printing: Paper was created as early as the 2nd century C.E.; woodblock printing spread knowledge widely during the Song.

  • Literature and Education: The educated elite produced and consumed literature; Confucian scholars thrived in a culture emphasizing schooling and intellectual pursuit.

Religious Diversity

• Greater interaction between different belief systems (Buddhism and Daoism) influenced society.

  • Buddhism, introduced from India, had varying regional forms:

  • Theravada: Focus on personal spiritual growth.

  • Mahayana: Spiritual growth for all and community service.

  • Tibetan: Focused on chanting.

  • Syncretic Buddhism (Chan or Zen) emerged, merging ideas of Buddhism and Daoism.

Comparing Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

Historical Dynamics

• Each country had a unique relationship with China, facing the challenge of maintaining their cultures amid the threat of sinification.

Japan

• Influenced by Chinese culture through Buddhism promoted by Prince Shotoku Taishi and the Heian period (794-1185).

  • Japan developed woodblock printing and produced original works like "The Tale of Genji."

• Feudalism without centralized governance emerged, featuring a hierarchy of daimyo (land-owning aristocrats) with more power than European nobility.

Korea

• Strong influence from China through a tributary system facilitated cultural emulation in governance and religion (Confucianism and Buddhism).

  • Korean elites adopted Confucian literature, but power remained with landed aristocrats, preventing broader reforms.

Vietnam

• Vietnam maintained a more resistant stance against Chinese influence, leading to violent rebellions.

  • Differences included gender roles and family structures, along with a merit-based bureaucracy distinct from China’s Confucian systems.

Developments in Dar al-Islam

Essential Question

• How did Islamic states arise, and how did major religious systems shape society?

Historical Background

• Islam spread out from Arabia post-Muhammad (632) through military conquest, trade, and missionary activity.

• The Abbasid Empire became a key center for learning and knowledge transfer.

Challenges Faced by the Abbasids

• Invasions from nomadic forces and internal divisions led to political fragmentation:

  • Egyptian Mamluks established a prosperous trade-based sultanate.

  • Seljuk Turks conquered portions of the Middle East, reducing the Abbasid’s religious authority.

  • Mongol invasion led to the fall of the Abbasid Empire in 1258.

Cultural and Social Life

• Fragmentation of the Islamic world led to interactions among various ethnic groups, fostering shared cultural practices and legal frameworks.

  • Scholars maintained intellectual continuity with earlier civilizations, translating and preserving significant works.

Cultural Innovations

• Significant contributions emerged during the Islamic Golden Age, like those from scholars such as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi in astronomy and Ibn Khaldun in historiography.

  • Sufism emphasized personal experience in spirituality, broadening Islam's appeal.

Commerce, Class, and Diversity

• Trade thrived across the Islamic world, establishing the status of merchants.

• Discrimination occurred in the non-Arab regions but lessened over time, facilitating commerce.

Slavery and Women's Status in Islam

• The institution of slavery existed, but Muslims could not enslave other Muslims.

  • Islamic women held higher status than their Christian or Jewish counterparts, with rights to inheritance and divorce.

Islamic Rule in Spain

• The Umayyads established a lasting influence in Spain, with Córdoba becoming a center for cultural and scholarly exchange.

  • Trade links flourished with Europe, spreading Islamic and Asian goods.